Kruger Park

Planning a Trip

The Park can be reach by car, plane and train

By car

From Nelspruit you will have to choose to which park gate you want to go. Nearest gates are: Malelane (south east), Numbi (south west) and Kruger Gate (south west, slightly north of the Numbi gate). The N4 is a toll road and you have to pay for its use. Depending on which gate you want to reach, add one or two hours from Nelspruit to find out how long your journey will be. Please be aware that the KNP gates are closed after sunset and visitors are not permitted to drive at night in the park.

The distance from Johannesburg to the 9 different gates of the KNP are approximately:

  • Numbi gate: 411 km
  • Malelane gate: 428 km
  • Phabeni gate: 430-440 km
  • Crocodile Bridge gate: 475 km
  • Paul Kruger gate: 460-470 km
  • Orpen: 490 km
  • Phalaborwa: 490 km
  • Punda Maria: 550 km
  • Parfuri: 600 km

Driving in darkness is considered to be dangerous outside the park especially if you are not used to driving in Africa. Pedestrians walk along the roads as well as local taxi/minibus services and both of them are difficult to spot at night. The area of the Numbi gate had a number of incidents involving barriers on roads and South Africans blame the proximity to Mozambique for this.

By plane

There are three airports with commercial scheduled flights near Kruger National Park. From south to north, they are Kruger Mpumalanga at Nelspruit, Hoedspruit Airport, and Phalaborwa Airport.

  • Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA/MQP)at Nelspruit [26] receives flights from Johannesburg International Airport, Durban, Cape Town, Livingstone and Vilanculos. It is the largest airport, with the most facilities and but only has services with South African Airlines only. Fares to here from Johannesburg can be half the price of the other Kruger airports. Car rental is possible via: Budget, Hertz, Europcar, Imperial Car Rental and National. If you are staying at one of the northern camps, this airport can be 4 or more hours from your entrance gate.
    • Distances to KNP gates from KMIA are
      • Kruger Gate 82 km
      • Malelane Gate 63 km
      • Numbi Gate 40 km
      • Phabeni Gate 76 km
    • Eastgate Airportat Hoedspruit has a couple of flights a day to Johannesburg with South African Airlines only. Avis has a car rental desk there. There is a bar and small shop selling chocolate bars, as well as a souvenir shop, but no serious cafe to speak of. It is listed on the SAA website as Hoedspruit airport, however the airport isn’t signposted from Hoedspruit, and to get there you have to go through a gate onto a private reserve. If you are flying out of here, make sure where you are going. Hoedspruit has another grass landing strip near the centre of town. This airport has no scheduled flights.
    • Phalaborwa Airport[27] is located 2 km from the Phalaborwa gate of the KNP and serves as a entry route for the northern camps such as Letaba, Olifants, Punda Maria and Shingwedzi. The airport is well connected to Johannesburg International Airport with two flights per day during the week and a single flight on Saturday and Sunday. The airport has car rental services. Again, there is only a single carrier operating.

 

  • Malelane Regional Airportnear the Malelane Gate is only used for private and charter flights.

By train

Passenger Trains in South Africa

Fees/Permits

The KNP is not open all day and night. Entry gate and camp gate opening and closing times are as follows:

  • November-January – Open 4h30 (camp gate) and 5h30 (entry gate), close 18h30
  • February – Open 5h30, close 18h30
  • March- Open 5h30, close 18h00
  • April – Open 6h00, close 18h00
  • May-July – Open 6h00, close 17h30
  • August/September – Open 6h00, close 18h00
  • October – Open 5h30, close 18h00
  • November-January – Open 4h30 (camp) and 5h30 (entry, close 18h30)

If you are later back in the camp or found driving around at night, you will be fined very high rates (up to thousands of Rand, it is serious!). So make sure to be out or back in the camp before closing time!

Fees apply to access the park. If you are not a resident of South Africa, you can choose to either pay daily conservation fees or buy an international visitors wildcard (valid for entry to all SANParks parks – as per 2014 for international passport holders the wildcard is about ZAR 1600.- for one year). The break even point is about 4-days conservation fees equal to a wildcard. You can purchase a wildcard or pay conservation fees when you are booking your accommodation, or you pay on admission (if you are not staying in the park) or at your camp. If you are visiting other parts of South Africa, you may want to consider the discounts available for Table Mountain and other parks before making your calculation.

When you enter the park you will be given an admission permit. It is very important to retain this, as you have to present it on the way out of the park to be permitted to exit.